8 Ways How to Make 3D Printer Bed Sticky
One of the most common challenges that 3D printing enthusiasts face is getting proper bed adhesion. If your bed isn’t sticky enough, it can result in failed prints and frustrations. Fortunately, I researched some of the best methods you can use to solve it.
To make your 3D printer bed sticky, clean the print bed, level it properly, adjust the nozzle-to-bed distance, and use an adhesive like glue sticks. If that doesn’t fix your issue, try to increase the bed and nozzle temperature and reduce drafts in the printing room. Alternatively, use some PEI sheets.
This is a simple explanation of what you need to do to make your printer bed sticky. I will provide more details in the article, so continue reading to learn more.
How to Make 3D Printer Bed Sticky
Your prints need to adhere correctly to the bed to achieve good results. Here is how to make your 3D printer bed sticky:
- Use an adhesive
- Clean the print bed
- Level the bed properly
- Change the bed and nozzle temperature
- Adjust the Z-Offset (nozzle to bed distance)
- Use a brim or raft
- Reduce drafts in the printing room
- Use PEI sheets
Note: Sometimes, you might need to combine these methods to see their effectiveness and make your 3D printer bed sticky.
1. Use an Adhesive
The go-to method for most 3D printing users for making the printer bed sticky is using an adhesive. Adhesives improve the grip between the printed object and the bed, preventing it from detaching when printing.
Some popular adhesives within the 3D printing community include:
- Hairspray
- Glue sticks
- Blue painter’s tape
- Magigoo
If you want to use this method, you should clean your bed thoroughly to ensure it is free of debris or fingerprints. Apply a thin layer of the adhesive, e.g., glue or hairspray, evenly across the print bed. After that, wait for the adhesive to dry and become tacky before starting your print.
Someone wanted tips on making his prints stick to the bed. One user suggested glue stick, adding that he could not get any adhesion on his Mega S unless he used it. Someone else mentioned Elmer’s stick glue, saying it worked great and released prints easily.
what is the best adhesive for the heating bed? I’m using this and sometimes it works and some others is not
byu/Bm_93 in3Dprinting
Check out this Elmer’s Purple Disappearing Glue Sticks that you can order from Amazon.
- Disappearing purple formula helps kids see where the glue is
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Another user said that blue tape can solve your bed adhesion problems and be an excellent alternative to glue. If no option was available, you could use the double side tape over the blue masking tape. He added that although it might take time to lay it out, the filament will stick to the tape firmly.
You can use Blue Painter’s Tape available on Amazon.
- Ideal for a variety of surfaces including painted walls, trim, glass, wood and metal
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A user recommended unscented Aquanet hairspray. You need to heat the bed and spray a light coat over the print bed to improve its stickiness. He added that you could easily clean it off with hot water and soap.
Here is the Aquanet Unscented Hairspray that you can use to make your 3D printer bed sticky.
- Quality you can trust from Lorna Mead
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
2. Clean the Print Bed
To ensure good print bed adhesion, try cleaning it before each print. This will help remove dust, oils, and residues from previous prints, making your bed less sticky.
To effectively clean your print bed, use Isopropyl Alcohol and a microfiber cloth to wipe the surface and remove fingerprints, oils, or other debris.
You can use a mixture of water and Dawn Dish soap for glass or mirror surfaces and then rinse with clean water. Once you’re through, dry the surface with a clean cloth to prevent streaks.
You can easily find the Dawn Dishwashing Liquid Soap on Amazon.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
One user who bought a glass bed for his Ender 3 complained that no single line of material could stick on the bed. He was advised to use rubbing alcohol or acetone, wipe it clean, and try a print, which solved his problem.
Another user said that he cleaned his print bed with warm water and Dawn Dish soap at least once a month to keep his bed sticky. He advised against touching the surface of the glass bed because hands are oily. Instead, you should touch the edges of the glass.
A user said that to make the print stick to the bed better, you need to start by cleaning the bed with IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) and a microfiber cloth. Here are some great Microfiber Cloths that you can use. You can also get this ForPro 70 % Isopropyl Alcohol from Amazon.
Watch this video to learn how to clean the Creality Ender 3/5 Surface.
3. Level the Bed Properly
An uneven 3D printer bed can result in the nozzle being too close or too far from the bed, causing it to be less sticky. The only way to solve this is to level it by adjusting the screws and knobs on the bed. Here is how to go about it:
- First, home all your axes and disable the stepper motors so you can be able to move your 3D printer carriage around
- Move the carriage to one corner and put a piece of paper or feeler gauge underneath the nozzle on the printer bed
- Move the paper backwards and forward between the nozzle and the print bed while adjusting the leveling screw
- There should be some slight resistance/friction to the paper, but not so much that you can’t remove the paper
- Once you’re done with one corner, move on to the next one
- Repeat this procedure for all four corners until the bed is completely level
One user said that he used the paper technique to level his bed. This involved placing a piece of paper between the bed and the nozzle and raising the bed until the paper slightly resisted movement.
He added that leveling was important because if some parts of your bed are lower than others, you might have adhesion issues on the lower parts.
If your bed center is lower than the corners and you have a flexible sheet, like with an Ender 3 Pro, place a small piece of tape under the flexible sheet in the center of the bed to raise that section to the same level as the corners.
Check out this video by CHEP that explains three easy ways to level your bed.
A user said that he solved all his adhesion problems by leveling the bed, starting from loosening the nuts.
4. Change the Bed and Nozzle Temperature
The correct bed and nozzle temperatures will make your bed sticky when printing. So, if your prints keep detaching from the bed, you can try increasing the bed and nozzle temperatures and see if you’ll get improvements.
If you’re using an Ender 3, this is how to do it:
- Go to your printer’s control panel and click on the adjusting knob
- From the menu that appears, scroll down to “Control” by turning the knob
- Select the “Control” setting by clicking the adjusting knob
- Scroll down to the “Temperature” setting and click the knob to select it from the menu that appears
- To change the bed or nozzle temperature, scroll down to bed/nozzle, click on it, and turn the adjusting knob
- Turning the knob clockwise increases the temperature and vice versa
- Make slight adjustments to the bed and nozzle temperatures until you get the sweet spot where your prints stick to the bed nicely but don’t become a problem to remove.
Some materials like PLA adhere properly to the bed at around 50 – 60°C. However, others, like ABS, may require a higher temperature, often about 90 – 110°C, for the printer bed to be sticky.
Here is how you can change the bed and nozzle temperatures of an Ender 3.
One user said that if your printer bed is not sticky, you should try increasing or decreasing the print bed temperature by +/- 10°C. He added that increasing the bed temperature reduced the warping of his PLA prints almost every time.
Some users recommended using nozzle and bed temperatures of 210°C and 60°C when printing with PLA. This would help to avoid adhesion issues and make the print bed sticky.
Another user sought a solution to his prints not sticking to his bed. Someone told him to adjust his nozzle/ bed temperatures. He added that increasing the first layer bed temperature could help the prints to stick better.
5. Adjust the Z Offset (Nozzle to Bed Distance)
Another effective method of making your prints stick better to the bed is to adjust the nozzle-to-bed distance, often referred to as the “Z Offset”. The nozzle shouldn’t be too far or close to the bed as the filament won’t stick properly.
You can adjust the Z Offset using the control panel of your 3D printer. Here’s how to do it on a Creality Ender 5 running the Marlin 2 firmware:
- First, select your print on the control panel screen, and then use the adjusting knob to go to the “Tune” setting
- Within the “Tune” setting, scroll down to the “Probe Z Offset” setting and click the knob
- To move the nozzle closer to the bed, adjust the knob to make the Z Offset value more negative. The vice versa is also true
- Adjust the nozzle-to-bed distance while using the paper method mentioned above to find the optimal value
- Now, go to the “Configuration” setting on the main menu of your printer, scroll down to “Store Settings”, and click on it
Make with Tech gives a comprehensive video of adjusting the Z Offset for Perfect Print Adhesion.
One user said that if you want to avoid using adhesives to print PLA on a glass bed, you need to use the correct distance between the nozzle and surface (Z-offset).
Another user said that for the print to stick to your bed, you’d need to make sure the nozzle is at a proper distance from the bed. He usually watches the first layer of each print and ensures that the nozzle is squishing the filament enough.
However, the nozzle shouldn’t be too close to the point where it creates a rough first layer by pushing the previous layer over and up. If you do that, the filament won’t be able to come out of the nozzle, or you could scratch the bed.
Someone suggested you reduce or increase the Z offset by 0.50mm to help fix any print adhesion issues.
6. Use a Brim or Raft
A simple way to make your 3D printer bed sticky is to use brims and rafts in your slicer settings. Brims and rafts create extra layers, increasing the contact area between the print and the bed. As a result, your print bed will become stickier.
To add a brim or raft in Cura, open the Print Settings tab and search for “Brim” or “Raft” in the search settings section.
Go to the “Build Plate Adhesion” setting, and besides the “Build Plate Adhesion Type,” choose either “Raft” or “Brim” from the dropdown menu.
You can further specify the width, distance, and position of the brim under the following sections.
One user said that he always found that adding a raft or brim to his prints using his slicer prevented any warping. The only slight disadvantage is that it added a little post-processing work.
Check out this video that shows how and when to use skirts, brims, and rafts for 3D printing.
7. Reduce Drafts in the Printing Room
Airflow and drafts in the printing environment can affect how well your prints stick to the bed. This is because airflow and drafts can cause the bed temperature to vary, making prints detach.
To fix this, you should close all windows and doors. Also, ensure any fans and vents are directed away from the 3D Printer. Alternatively, you can print in an enclosure to help maintain a stable and warm environment around the printer.
One user was fighting print bed adhesion problems and needed solutions to fix the issue. Someone else commented that they needed to ensure that the Printer was not exposed to cold air currents in the room.
He even suggested running the same print with the Printer in the corner of a room far away from the window to try and solve the problem.
Another user said that you should avoid printing in a drafty place or with fans blowing around your printer, as this fixes bed adhesion issues.
8. Use PEI Sheets
To prevent you from repeatedly using adhesives and cleaning the print bed to make it more sticky, you should purchase some PEI sheets. PEI sheets are specifically crafted with adhesive properties that provide a strong bond between the first layer of your print and the print bed.
Check out these UNIDO PEI Sheets that you can easily purchase on Amazon.
You’ll need to clean your printer bed before attaching the PEI sheet. After that, it would be necessary to re-level your printer bed since the sheet slightly affects the nozzle-to-bed distance.
Here is a video showing how to upgrade your 3D Printer with a PEI bed.
One user said he loved PEI sheets for his Kobra Max as they helped keep stuff stuck on the bed while printing. However, bed temperature also played an important role.
A random user said that he took the advice of another Reddit user and bought a PEI steel sheet, and he never regretted the decision. This is because everything began to stick easily, and he had no issues.